FAQ'S

Medical and Travel Insurance

International students must have current and appropriate medical and travel insurance while studying in New Zealand. Insurance must comply with the guidelines set out in the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (The Code) and, at a minimum, also include cover for personal effects, mental illness, optical, and loss of baggage and other personal effects. Our preferred insurance policy, StudentSafe, meets the University's requirements.

Immigration New Zealand requires full-fee paying international students to hold acceptable medical and travel insurance as a condition of their student visa. You must hold acceptable insurance from the date of your enrolment until your visa expires unless you depart New Zealand earlier. If you allow your insurance policy to lapse during this time, you may be in breach of your visa conditions which may render you liable for deportation or result in future visa applications being declined. For more detailed information, please search from here

2015 PREMIUMS:

STUDENTSAFE INSURANCE: PERIODS OF INSURANCE

Study Abroad and Exchange students will be insured for the duration of their enrolment period.

Students commencing a degree programme in Trimester 1 will be charged for 12 months of insurance i.e. until February of the following year. Students commencing a degree programme in Trimester 2 or 3 you will be charged for insurance up until February of the following year. After that, you will be charged for a full year of insurance at the beginning of each academic year.

Students completing study at the end of Trimester 1 or who withdraw from the University must contact the Insurance Advisor at Victoria International. Your insurance will not be cancelled automatically.

Masters by Thesis students are charged for insurance for 12 months at a time. The insurance policy is renewed on a 12 month cycle.

PhD students are charged for from the first enrolment date until 31st December of that year.

International students studying on the Vic OE Programme for one or two semesters will not be covered during a semester away on student exchange. We highly recommend you purchase additional travel and medical insurance to cover you during this time. You do not have to keep your Studentsafe policy while you are away, however, the policy will not be cancelled automatically and you will be charged as usual. To cancel your policy you must contact the Insurance Advisor at Victoria International before leaving for your semester on exchange.

Important points:

If you return to your home country during the summer holidays and intend to return to continue study thefollowing year, you will not be allowed to cancel your insurance.

Students completing their studies in less than 12 months from the time you renew your insurance or research students who suspend their studies must contact the Insurance Advisor at Victoria International to reduce your insurance cover. Insurance is not automatically suspended if you suspend your studies.

Students are required to immediately inform and update the Insurance Advisor at Victoria International of any changes during the period of insurance e.g. no longer enrolled, change of status, or with a different provider.

If you choose to cancel your insurance policy while you are suspended, and commence your insurance cover when you return, it will be considered a new policy. This means that any medical conditions you received treatment for under the old policy will be considered pre-existing conditions and will no longer be covered.

FAMILY POLICIES

If your spouse/partner or children accompany you to New Zealand you can choose to insure them under your Studentsafe University policy. Contact the Insurance Advisor at Victoria International for an application form. A family policy can cover your partner, e.g. husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend and/or dependent children under 18.

If your children enrol as international students at a New Zealand school, the school will require them to have insurance that meets the guidelines of The Code. Studentsafe-University family insurance is an easy and affordable way of making sure your children have appropriate cover. The Insurance Advisor can provide a letter of confirmation for the child's school if necessary.

Insurance for other family members is not compulsory; however, we highly recommend it, especially if your family is not eligible for public health benefits.

Important points:

If there are any changes to your family, such as a new baby or other family members joining you from overseas, you must contact Victoria International to add them to your policy. They will not be automatically covered.

Family policies are not renewed automatically. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the Insurance Advisor if you would like to renew a family policy.

Family members who are not Victoria University students will not be able to use the Student Health Service. We recommend you register with a family doctor as soon as possible after you arrive. See the medical section (green section) in the front of the White Pages Phone Book to find a medical centre or family doctor near you.

Students or family members aged 60 or over are required to provide medical evidence to Vero before cover can be accepted. If you or a family member are 60 years of age or over you must complete the Medical Risk Assessment application form and send it to VI insurance advisor.

Studentsafe University Insurance doesn’t cover:

Pre-existing medical conditions: If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you can apply for approval of cover as some pre-existing conditions may be considered. Please contact the Insurance Advisor at Victoria International to request a Medical Risk Assessment Form.

Contraception appointments and prescriptions.

Pregnancy, Childbirth and abortion.

Medical Check-up for Immigration.

Car Insurance: It is important to arrange appropriate car insurance if you plan to own a car while in New Zealand.

HOW TO MAKE A CLAIM

STUDENTS WITH AN APPROVED ALTERNATIVE INSURANCE

Students covered by an approved alternative insurance policy are solely responsible to keep the policy up-to-date. Each time you renew your policy you must bring a copy of your updated insurance certificate to the Insurance Advisor at Victoria International.

The minimum duration of your insurance cover must be the length of your current enrolment period. You must have continuous insurance throughout your degree, even if you plan to go home for a holiday.

Students who do not show your updated approved alternative policy will be automatically enrolled with Studentsafe insurance and required to pay the appropriate premium.

The following insurance policies in this listare non-compliant with the Code of Pastoral Care for International Students and will not be approved as an alternative insurance policy. In this case, you must purchase Studentsafe University Insurance, as all international students are required to have an approved insurance policy before completing enrolment at the university.

Most international students are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand. Full details on entitlements to publicly funded health services are available through the Ministry of Health.